Bad Luck for Our Cricketers

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 193, 16 August 1937, Page 14

Bad Luck for Our Cricketers

PAGE WINS TOSS.

ENGLAND FIELDING. RAIH HOLDS UP OVAL TEST. VIVXAK AICD HMJL-W OPEN. LONDON, August 15. Rain ruined the first day's play in the final cricket Test match between England and Xew Zealand at the OvaL Only nine overs were bowled on Saturdav owing to bad weather. It-wae hard luck for the tourkts, who were presented with a glorious opportunity of making a big score. Teams: — England: Robins (captain), Gover, Hammond, Goddard, Barnett, Amee ; Washbrook, Hardstaff, Hutton, Matthews, Compton. New Zealand: Page (captain), Vivian, Hadlee. Cowie, Robert*, Tindill, Weir, Donnelly, Wallace, Dunning, Moloney. Cafsoa.is twelfth man. Hadlee is still feeling the effect* of his strained leg. New Zealand* luck changed at last, the tourists winning the toss and batting. The wicket was covered overnight, but the ontfield was slow as the result of rain, which delayed the start until one o'clock. Vivian and Hadlee batted carefully but confidently for half an hour until lunch. Gover bowled at top-paee,-having five slip fieldsmen for the rigfit-hander and three men in the slip* And three at short leg- for. the left-hander, with the : wicket-keeper 1 standing, well tfcvkMatthewe,- howling at faet-ufediuni pace, had three men in the slips and two at short leg. The batsmen were quite

untroubled, making easy, clean strokes i off both bowlers. Rain pelted down after lunch. The i wicket was protected, but puddles soon j "appeared in the outfield. Three thou- j t-and spectators huddled under news- ! papers and umbrellas on open tiered , seats until the rain stopped and then \ congregated in front of the pavilion ■ clamouring for play to recommence. After the wicket had been inspected ! by the captains several times, play was j abandoned for the day at five o'clock. Scores:— NEW ZEALAND.—First Innings. Vivian, not out 13 Hadlee, not out 7 Total for no wickets 20 Bowling: Gover took no wkkets for 11 j rune, Matthews none for 9. >-UTIU AND ABSURD. HOBBS OX THREE-DAY TESTS. I (Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 15. j There was an unusual development i on the first day of the Test at the Oval. ; as the crowd, following the umpires to- i ward the wicket on frequent inspection*, damaged the bowlers' run-ups. Police assistance was invoked to keep the spectators clear of the centre of the jrround. J. B. Hobbs in the '"Star." protest* against the futility of three-day Tests. He says such games must be drawn, unless the weather interferes or one side collapses completely for no good reason at all. He declares that it is ! absurd to bring a team half-way round j the world when it U well known before- j hand that the international series will j irodiTfe unsatisfactory draws. Ho w "k favours four-day game* against ; NV.r 7. -aland and five-day Tests with' *"••.--:;>. ! Mr. T. C. Lowry. Nrw Zealand mana- j ger, in an interview, places the probable j loss of the tour at over £1000. It is I

hoped to recoup some of this from the j three games to be played in Australia. ! Sunday was fine, with much sunshine. ! The forecast fr>r to-morrow's wicket is ! that it probably will be hard and fast. | WASHBROOK'S CHANCE. CAREER OF YOUNG PLAYER. J . One of the m«t discussed cricketers ] in England before the selection of G. O. | B. Allen's M.C.C. team for New Zealand, j C. Washbrook (Lancashire) subsequently ; failed to qualify for the Australian and New Zealand trip. Owing to an injury to E. Paynter. the left-handed Lancas- ! trian. WashbrtxJk has at last been given j his English cap for the Test now in! progress at the Oval. i

Although not born until January 6. ! 1013. Cyril Wa*hbrook first attracted j attention in 1933. Playing for Lani <-a.-Hre ele\en v. Yorkshire eleven at ; Bradford, he he!;>ed Farriniond in a j F'lis-d of 108 and scoring 202 not out i 1 iii:~elf. was very uroperly given a place jin the county side. His baptism in I first-class cricket was against Sussex,

spectators saw indicated that the standard of League football in the Dominion has improved a great deal. Taking a line from the way the Australians play the fame, it can also be said that League in New Zealand has still a higher standard to aspire to —that is. if the best standard is to be reached. A feature of the Australian play has been the speed of their movements, their ball possession % at all times, their backing up all the time, and an extreme sharpness of thrust. And, in certain positions, Australia has key-men who can exploit the niceties of the code.

Norman's Fine Game. New Zealand has yet to produce a five-eighth of the mercurial genius of Norman, play in thi* match was one of its great features. He handled brilliantly, took the gap or made it in a flash, and changed his direction at times in a way which left the opposition disillusioned. Williams shot the ball away with celerity. Norman at times made the New Zealand inside backs look tyros at tackling, the centres took up the running in good style, and on the wings Dawson and McLean showed glorious pace and endeavour. McLean's wonderful speed was a menace to New Zealand all the day, and. as Auckland has seen him, he has lived up to the reputation of being the greatest Australian wing three-quarter since the days of Horder. Prigg was the greatest forward on the ground. He is one of the best that Aucklanders have seen. Even in its sadly depleted period the Australian forwards strived hard. That they could not match the New Zealand six at that stage could not be counted against them. Nepia Shines. Among the New Zealand backs Nepia <tood out as the best. His fielding wa« beautifully clean and his tackling an inspiration. Now in the twilight of his great football career the Maori, in some phases of play, is a* .great a* ever. It was Nepia who made the difference between victorv and defeat.

Much of the New Zealand attacking work was ragged, but Davidson anl Chase were both impressive when in possession. In defence Tittleton was again a great asset

Eefore the end came the Xew Zealand backs and forwards combined in a passing bout that harassed the visitors. Finally Bickerton chimed into the

movement for a second time to take a pass from Kay and dived over at the corner. Xepia could not improve the position, and the game ended shortly afterwards with the scores reading: " Xew Zealand 16 Australia 15 Mr. W. WetherUl was referee. Injured Players SaiL The tw o Australian forward* S H. Pearce, who had a leg fractured, 'and J. GitK>s, who had two ribs fractured both sailed with the Australian team for England by the Arawa on Saturday mght. Pearce fell while attempting to tackle Xepia, the New Zealand full-back and Gibbs was injured' in ruck plav' Both players were taken to a private hospital for treatment, and in the ca*e ot Pearce his leg had to be set in plaster of pans. When he was brought to the wharr in a St. John ambulance a final consultation was held and it »a= decided that he should leave with the team. Prior to the team leaving Australia an agreement was made that anv plavers hurt while playing in Xew " Zealand should not n>: ss the tour. It is a coincidence in the case of Pearce that his father, S. Pearce a noted Australian forward in his time had a leg broken while playing f or Australia against Dewsbury in 1921 Mr H. Sunderlaud, the team manairer of the Australians, recalled that fact on Saturday evening. He said that on the Dewsbury ground they did not have the bt. John Ambulance facilities that thev have in Auckland, and a Yorkshireman removed a door from its hinges and u*ed it to carry Pearce off the ground. Team Farewelled. Before the Australians left Auckland the president of the Xew Zealand Ru~bv League. Mr. J. A. Redwood, presented Mr. H. Sunderland and Mr. R. E. Savage the co-managers of the team, with Xew Zealand rugs, and the secretary of the Xew Zea'and Rugby League. Mr. W. O Carlaw. handr-J a *i'ver fern to each member of the touring party.

There was a large crowd at the wharf to see the Arawa leave, and much